Chapter Thirty: May I Follow You?

"B... brother, he... he's stopped breathing!" the chubby man stammered.

The skinny man, upon hearing this, clearly did not believe him. "Fatty, what kind of nonsense are you spouting?"

He shoved the chubby man’s hand aside, intending to check the situation himself. However, the moment his hand brushed against his companion, he realized the chubby man had also slumped to the ground.

"Fatty?" The chubby man twitched twice, then went still.

The skinny man realized then that Liang Yi must have done something. Furious and flustered, he scrambled to his feet and glared, pointing a finger at her. "What did you do to them?"

Before he could react, Liang Yi swung her blade down.

It was indeed Liang Yi’s doing. While the two men were distracted by their conversation, she had managed a swift, light slice across the chubby man’s neck. Combined with the toxicity of her dagger, he had been silenced instantly.

The skinny man was sharp-witted; realizing the danger lay in the dagger she held, he immediately pulled his hand back behind his back and retreated.

Liang Yi spoke coldly, "This dagger came from a Tier 3 treasure chest. It’s called the 'Fatal Blade.' Would you like to test it?"

The skinny man looked at the two corpses on the ground and gulped. He didn't know if she was bluffing, but the fact remained that two men had inexplicably died in an instant. Backing away further, he stammered, "I... I won't test it. I... I'm sorry."

As he spoke, he continued to back away. Once he reached what he deemed a safe distance, he turned and bolted. He was so terrified that he completely forgot about his vehicle—the most crucial necessity in this game.

Liang Yi took a deep breath, feeling relieved that the man’s nerves had failed him so easily. Otherwise, she wasn't entirely sure she could have handled him in a direct fight. The dagger, which had been capable of delivering a lethal blow, had exhausted its special effect after three uses and was now nothing more than an ordinary blade.

Her tense nerves finally began to soothe. She steadied herself, gripped the dagger, and stepped over the sprawled bodies toward the Hummer and the minivan. As she reached the vehicles, she wasn't surprised to find that, aside from a lonely scooter and a tightly bound woman, they were stripped of all other supplies.

The woman’s hair was a tangled mess, and there was a gruesome wound on her forehead, with blood seeping from her injured lip. A filthy rag was stuffed into her mouth, and her hands were tied firmly behind her back. She looked utterly wretched.

She was completely naked, exposed to the air. Slowly, she lifted her head, looking at Liang Yi with eyes filled with mist, pain, and confusion.

Liang Yi opened the minivan door. Without a word, she used the dagger to cut the ropes binding the woman, then stepped back. The woman quickly freed herself, spat out the rag, and began to dry heave.

"Thank you!" Once she had gathered her strength, the woman hugged her body, shamefully trying to cover herself with her hair.

"Don't mention it," Liang Yi replied, turning away from the van.

When a player dies, all their belongings vanish. The clothes the bald man had been wearing had likely come from a treasure chest, leaving his corpse bare. Liang Yi frowned, finding the sight an eyesore. Regardless of whether the woman behind her could see, she deposited the bald man's body into the Points Mall. Not bad—one corpse earned her five points. As for the other, she stripped the clothes off him before sending him to the shop as well. She now had eleven points.

"Here, wear this," Liang Yi said, tossing the clothes she had scavenged to the woman.

"Thank you, thank you!" Seeing the woman’s injuries, Liang Yi felt a pang of pity. She pointed toward a nearby stream. "There’s a river over there. You can wash up."

The woman clutched the clothes and began to limp toward the stream. Perhaps from being cooped up in the van for so long or simply from physical exhaustion, she stumbled and fell the moment her foot touched the ground. Seeing the extent of her injuries, Liang Yi felt that the two men had died too easily. After a moment of hesitation, she helped the woman up and guided her to the riverbank before turning back to loot the vehicles.

Since one man was still alive, Liang Yi found three packs of instant noodles, two bottles of mineral water, two chocolate bars, a bowl, half a pack of cigarettes, and something that looked like a map. She poured one bottle of water into a small electric pot to boil, and drank half of the other bottle herself. She didn't hesitate to eat one of the chocolate bars.

Half an hour later, the woman emerged from the river. She was wearing the men's clothing, which hung loosely on her frame, her hair dripping wet down her back. When Liang Yi heard her approach, she added the noodles to the boiling water, stirred them with a twig, and poured the contents into the bowl.

"Come and eat."

The previously timid woman, upon hearing this, rushed over and began to wolf down the noodles. As she ate, tears streamed down her face, mixing with the broth. Liang Yi didn't have the heart—or the energy—to comfort her.

Once the woman finished, Liang Yi said, "Take these two packs of noodles and the chocolate bar. Pick one of the vehicles and leave."

The woman clutched the items tightly, looking up at Liang Yi with hopeful eyes. "I... can I come with you?"

"I am on my own..." Before the woman could finish, Liang Yi cut her off.

"No."

The light of hope in the woman's eyes instantly flickered out. Liang Yi had been telling herself not to be meddlesome or overly kind; she had to survive and return to her family. Yet, seeing the woman like this, she couldn't help but add, "This is a survival game. You only survive if you become strong yourself. Relying on others is the most unreliable thing you can do."

The woman seemed to realize that Liang Yi truly did not intend to take her along. With great difficulty, she stood up, expressed her gratitude once more, and departed with lingering reluctance.

She chose the Hummer, which was spacious and appeared sturdy. In this game, once a player died, their transport could be claimed by anyone. Initially, Liang Yi had been tempted to take the Hummer herself, but after checking it, she realized it required gasoline. Gasoline could only be found in treasure chests, which were rare enough, let alone the fuel itself. Her electric vehicle was much more reliable.